IBUPROFEN AND CORONA VIRUS: Do Ibuprofen and Other Anti-Inflammatory Medications Increase Your RIsk?
Have you seen posts of people warning you against taking Ibuprofen for fever or any symptoms of COVID19?
I had received an audio message warning about the dangers of taking Ibuprofen with COVID 19. Since then, I have seen different forms of postings. For instance, one circulated post states, “Ibuprofen kicks-starts the Corona Virus 10x”. Wow!…. But is this true, is this based on research?
Meanwhile, family members are taking naproxen for other problems, as needed. Will this increase their risk? We are all in a situation where we would rather minimize our risk, so what really is the answer?
"The World Health Organization has reversed an earlier statement advising people with COVID-19 against self-medicating with ibuprofen, though the French government has maintained its stance, adding to confusion about a drug that’s been bought heavily in recent days."
On March 11, the French Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, tweeted, in French: “taking anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, cortisone…) could be (an) aggravating factor for the infection. If you have a fever, take paracetamol.”
Paracetamol is another generic name and is the same medication as acetaminophen.
The tweet brought up a lot of controversy and concern.
Where did the concern about NSAIDS and COVID19 come from?
A study regarding COVID19 in nearly 1300 “gravely ill” patients in China noted that between 12- 30% of these ill patients had Diabetes and/or high blood pressure.
The theory is that these patients were on medications that could raise their ACE2 levels. ACE2 sites are places where the Corona Virus can attach to. Anti-inflammatory medications also raise this level.
There have also been anecdotal cases of people who became seriously ill who had used ibuprofen.
These reports leave many questions, for sure.
- What percentage of the Chinese population in total have high blood pressure and diabetes?
- People have taken ibuprofen for fever and sore throat with the virus, how many people who are seriously ill with COVID19 have taken acetaminophen?
Ibuprofen can have serious side effects, totally unrelated to COVID-19.
These include: stomach pain and stomach ulcers, liver or kidney problems, high blood pressure, and studies have found that they can increase the risk for heart attacks or strokes.
Already before COVID-19, The Mayo Clinic advised people to "take only the dose you need for as short amount of time as possible to limit the risk of heart attack or stroke."
If you start having symptoms of COVID19, talk to your doctor’s office about their recommendations for you and your family.
The consensus among experts is that there is a lack of evidence. There is no widely accepted data about ibuprofen and COVID-19. However, some organizations have advised caution and suggest acetaminophen as a possible preferable treatment for symptoms.
Consider your usual method of taking over the counter medications and anti-inflammatory medications. For instance,due to a history of a kidney problem, I rarely take Ibuprofen. I will take acetaminophen for headaches, or other aches or pains on occasion. Other members of my family have taken anti-inflammatory meds as needed. More often, I use essential oils and a very “clean”, grown well and tested, CBD product as first-line measures. They have worked well for me, and I am hoping that they are also helping my body’s immune system stay healthy.
How about you? If you had the Corona Virus, did you take any medications? If you have not had the virus, would you take ibuprofen or acetaminophen?
Every day!